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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · kick · pitcher · scale · present · deal · clip · foot

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. present — there
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. scale — in music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. dip — to sink
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. clip — a video
  18. kick — in football
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com